OSS for business
Good health, Habrovchane!
June 7, 2012 I attended the Intel IT Galaxy conference in St. Petersburg. I was invited to participate in the discussion of issues related to It-services, cloud computing, infrastructure, etc., in the framework of the plenary discussion "The Future of Corporate Computing." Opinion experts and IT directors expressed their opinions on each of the issues.
One of the questions simply “blew up” everyone who was in the hall is the use of open source software for corporate purposes (for business).
Opinions were divided: some of the participants strongly opposed the use of open-source software (OSS), others, on the contrary, gave examples of successful projects in their companies. I decided to share my thoughts on the OSS market and the experience of using them in one of the manufacturing companies.
Why did I pay attention to OSS? First of all, it is an opportunity to start using the software without spending a cent. Secondly, these are system improvements, since the open system code is honed to solve any problems. And do not need to develop software from scratch. For you, this made the OS community. Thirdly, this is a huge number of experts that I can contact at any time. So, let's begin.
The last 10 years around the world is a real OSS boom. More and more companies use open source solutions for commercial purposes. In any class of systems, whether ERP, ESM, CRM, Bi or corporate portals, there is an alternative: use open solutions such as OpenERP, SugarCRM, SalemEAM, Pentaho and LifeRay, or their commercial counterparts.
In the CIS countries the situation is different. Business is very cautious about OSS. The main argument in the opponents head is the phrase “Free cheese only in a mousetrap”.
Indeed, the cost of the system administrator * nix is ​​significantly higher than the cost of the Windows administrator. But if we talk about the business application market (ESM, CRM, Bi, ERP) - the cost of administrators of commercial and open-source applications will be the same (if not vice versa).
The next question that worries primarily the IT managers, how will the application be supported? How to ensure the performance of the system 24x7?
But in other countries, this problem is solved. Companies developing OSS offer support no worse than that of commercial competitors. Otherwise, they simply would not be able to maintain their presence in the corporate systems market.
It so happened that the IT market in the CIS countries is lagging behind the world one, by 5-7 years. Approximately the same situation is with the OSS market, but now there are companies developing and supporting open business solutions 24x7. And if it is not possible to carry out support independently, you can outsource it by entering into a support agreement and registering an SLA.
Further I will list what I managed to do in the last 10 years.
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The introduction of OSS in our company began with the launch of the project for the implementation of the workflow system. NauDoc ( www.naudoc.ru ), an open electronic document management system from the young, at that time, Ekaterinburg company NauMen, was chosen as software. Implemented functions: coordination of orders and orders, control of executive discipline, registration of incoming and outgoing correspondence, coordination of contracts, set up docflow procedures for changing the composition of the product, an electronic archive of orders, orders and contracts. During operation, there were issues related to performance due to the system architecture (python, zope, zodb), but the issue was resolved by the physical separation of databases. Works successfully for over 10 years.
The second project is the implementation of CRM. VtigerCRM ( www.vtiger.com ) was chosen as the system. Implemented functions: a pipeline of transactions with analysis of the reasons for failure, recording information on customer contacts, various analytics on customers and sales areas, differentiation of access rights at the customer level, preparation of commercial proposals (KP), contracts, invoices for payment and shipping documents - on Russian standards, integration with the ERP system - KP overload in ERP, and receiving feedback on the availability date of the finished product. Works over 2 years.
The next project is the implementation of a corporate portal. The solution was chosen CMS Joomla! and a set of third-party and self-developed modules. On the same platform, but using other modules, an open corporate portal JomPortal ( www.jomportal.ru ) has been developed . Implemented functions: publishing news and events, e-library and knowledge base, application management, for example, recruitment or ordering cartridges, social network functions. Integration with a checkpoint is set up; in the phone book you can see employees at work or not. Single entry point - from the portal is configured access to any information system of the company (taking into account the differentiation of rights). Images from surveillance cameras and others are displayed. A little more than a year works.
Further, the use of OpenOffice ( www.openoffice.org ) - the transition was carried out everywhere where there was no need to conduct a large number of analytical calculations (the majority of users). Not 100% coverage is associated primarily with user training and a large number of documents executed earlier in MS, which opened when formatting crashed. On most jobs used about 2 years.
Thin clients based on the specialized Linux Thinstation distribution ( www.thinstation.org ) were introduced at checkpoints. Used for more than 5 years.
Ubuntu Linux ( www.ubuntu.com ) was used on office workplaces where there was a need for corporate software — a remote desktop connection was configured (Remmina with the RDP module). Used for more than 6 months, refused, because they could not agree with information security.
Qmail ( http://cr.yp.to/qmail.html ) is used as an external mail server. The uninterrupted functioning of the mail server was overshadowed by the intermittent failures of the commercial anti-virus. Works 9 years.
Router and firewall - Linux with configured iptables rules. There also works a transparent proxy with reports on users. Works 9 years.
Proxmox- based virtualization ( www.proxmox.com ) - developer virtual machines, test benches, unified integration bus. Works about a year.
The Jitterbit unified integration bus ( www.jitterbit.com ) is used for centralized management and data transfer between enterprise information systems: an up-to-date reference book of employees from 1C to the corporate portal, lists of CFDs from the cost accounting system to the portal. Works about a year.
Summarizing the above, my experience in using OSS systems in an enterprise has been successful. In all the projects listed above, I didn’t have any insurmountable problems with implementation, revision, configuration and operation. There were no more failures and failures than the commercial systems used in the company. They were supported by 5 IT staff members whose duties included installation and configuration of the system, customization of user requirements, helpdesk and user training.
I would be glad if someone else will share their experience in using OSS to solve business problems.
June 7, 2012 I attended the Intel IT Galaxy conference in St. Petersburg. I was invited to participate in the discussion of issues related to It-services, cloud computing, infrastructure, etc., in the framework of the plenary discussion "The Future of Corporate Computing." Opinion experts and IT directors expressed their opinions on each of the issues.
One of the questions simply “blew up” everyone who was in the hall is the use of open source software for corporate purposes (for business).
Opinions were divided: some of the participants strongly opposed the use of open-source software (OSS), others, on the contrary, gave examples of successful projects in their companies. I decided to share my thoughts on the OSS market and the experience of using them in one of the manufacturing companies.
Why did I pay attention to OSS? First of all, it is an opportunity to start using the software without spending a cent. Secondly, these are system improvements, since the open system code is honed to solve any problems. And do not need to develop software from scratch. For you, this made the OS community. Thirdly, this is a huge number of experts that I can contact at any time. So, let's begin.
The last 10 years around the world is a real OSS boom. More and more companies use open source solutions for commercial purposes. In any class of systems, whether ERP, ESM, CRM, Bi or corporate portals, there is an alternative: use open solutions such as OpenERP, SugarCRM, SalemEAM, Pentaho and LifeRay, or their commercial counterparts.
In the CIS countries the situation is different. Business is very cautious about OSS. The main argument in the opponents head is the phrase “Free cheese only in a mousetrap”.
Indeed, the cost of the system administrator * nix is ​​significantly higher than the cost of the Windows administrator. But if we talk about the business application market (ESM, CRM, Bi, ERP) - the cost of administrators of commercial and open-source applications will be the same (if not vice versa).
The next question that worries primarily the IT managers, how will the application be supported? How to ensure the performance of the system 24x7?
But in other countries, this problem is solved. Companies developing OSS offer support no worse than that of commercial competitors. Otherwise, they simply would not be able to maintain their presence in the corporate systems market.
It so happened that the IT market in the CIS countries is lagging behind the world one, by 5-7 years. Approximately the same situation is with the OSS market, but now there are companies developing and supporting open business solutions 24x7. And if it is not possible to carry out support independently, you can outsource it by entering into a support agreement and registering an SLA.
Further I will list what I managed to do in the last 10 years.
')
The introduction of OSS in our company began with the launch of the project for the implementation of the workflow system. NauDoc ( www.naudoc.ru ), an open electronic document management system from the young, at that time, Ekaterinburg company NauMen, was chosen as software. Implemented functions: coordination of orders and orders, control of executive discipline, registration of incoming and outgoing correspondence, coordination of contracts, set up docflow procedures for changing the composition of the product, an electronic archive of orders, orders and contracts. During operation, there were issues related to performance due to the system architecture (python, zope, zodb), but the issue was resolved by the physical separation of databases. Works successfully for over 10 years.
The second project is the implementation of CRM. VtigerCRM ( www.vtiger.com ) was chosen as the system. Implemented functions: a pipeline of transactions with analysis of the reasons for failure, recording information on customer contacts, various analytics on customers and sales areas, differentiation of access rights at the customer level, preparation of commercial proposals (KP), contracts, invoices for payment and shipping documents - on Russian standards, integration with the ERP system - KP overload in ERP, and receiving feedback on the availability date of the finished product. Works over 2 years.
The next project is the implementation of a corporate portal. The solution was chosen CMS Joomla! and a set of third-party and self-developed modules. On the same platform, but using other modules, an open corporate portal JomPortal ( www.jomportal.ru ) has been developed . Implemented functions: publishing news and events, e-library and knowledge base, application management, for example, recruitment or ordering cartridges, social network functions. Integration with a checkpoint is set up; in the phone book you can see employees at work or not. Single entry point - from the portal is configured access to any information system of the company (taking into account the differentiation of rights). Images from surveillance cameras and others are displayed. A little more than a year works.
Further, the use of OpenOffice ( www.openoffice.org ) - the transition was carried out everywhere where there was no need to conduct a large number of analytical calculations (the majority of users). Not 100% coverage is associated primarily with user training and a large number of documents executed earlier in MS, which opened when formatting crashed. On most jobs used about 2 years.
Thin clients based on the specialized Linux Thinstation distribution ( www.thinstation.org ) were introduced at checkpoints. Used for more than 5 years.
Ubuntu Linux ( www.ubuntu.com ) was used on office workplaces where there was a need for corporate software — a remote desktop connection was configured (Remmina with the RDP module). Used for more than 6 months, refused, because they could not agree with information security.
Qmail ( http://cr.yp.to/qmail.html ) is used as an external mail server. The uninterrupted functioning of the mail server was overshadowed by the intermittent failures of the commercial anti-virus. Works 9 years.
Router and firewall - Linux with configured iptables rules. There also works a transparent proxy with reports on users. Works 9 years.
Proxmox- based virtualization ( www.proxmox.com ) - developer virtual machines, test benches, unified integration bus. Works about a year.
The Jitterbit unified integration bus ( www.jitterbit.com ) is used for centralized management and data transfer between enterprise information systems: an up-to-date reference book of employees from 1C to the corporate portal, lists of CFDs from the cost accounting system to the portal. Works about a year.
Summarizing the above, my experience in using OSS systems in an enterprise has been successful. In all the projects listed above, I didn’t have any insurmountable problems with implementation, revision, configuration and operation. There were no more failures and failures than the commercial systems used in the company. They were supported by 5 IT staff members whose duties included installation and configuration of the system, customization of user requirements, helpdesk and user training.
I would be glad if someone else will share their experience in using OSS to solve business problems.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/147470/
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